Our paths conveniently crossed on the night Isaiah and his roommates were hosting a housewarming party in downtown Vancouver. I was invited as a friend of his roommate. We immediately hit it off and talked nonstop for hours. Before departing, Isaiah quickly texted himself using my phone. A few dates later and we were official by the start of the new year.

After a weekend of travel to the east coast, Isaiah suggested we decompress in the surroundings of our home. He knew just the place: Moulton Falls; the first place his aunt took him to see upon moving to Washington shortly before we met. After 30 minutes of driving and a small hike from the lot, we found ourselves alone by the serene river, sitting on rocks beneath an empty wooden bridge in a perfect spring sunset. Admittedly, I was initially complaining about fatigue and the driving distance, but eventually agreed this was a good idea for us to relax. After a few minutes, Isaiah started repeating my name over and over. I dismissed this initially as one of his antics, never glancing from the beautiful view. But he persisted. Exasperated, I finally turned and exclaimed “what?!” My confusion melted to shock and excitement as I saw him kneeling, holding the ring he told me we couldn’t afford yet just weeks prior. Truly the most beautiful surprise of my life.